It's beginning to look a lot like Black Friday, as retailers have already begun rolling out holiday sales promotions and consumers are turning to technology to scout out bargains.

"The committed shopper can research and compare the best deals by mid-November," said Kelli Hollinger, director of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University's Mays Business School. "There's no more waiting until Thanksgiving to plan shopping in a single day."

Indeed, consumers wield more power than ever thanks to new tools afforded by the Internet, especially with mobile technology, and new options for free and expedited shipping from online dealers. They're nudging stores to stretch the shopping season even further from its traditional Black Friday kickoff.

The last week or so has seen numerous retailers, including Target, Best Buy and Stage Stores outfits, announce operating hours for Nov. 26, Thanksgiving Day, in addition to the day after.

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Shoppers, start your engines

Among the retailers that have announced holiday shopping hours for Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and Black Friday:

But even the smattering of trend-buckers - outdoor retailer REI made waves by declaring it would remain closed on both the holiday and Black Friday - doesn't change the fact that stores are selling stuff all the time.

Rise of online deals

"For the first time, we're seeing some open last year announcing they are closing this year," acknowledged Benjamin Glaser, features editor for DealNews, a website that tracks retailers.

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Glaser was quick to attribute that at least in part to the increase in online shopping. Software giant Adobe predicts retailers will see a record $83 billion flow in through the Internet by year's end.

"I think most of all, the rise of online retail means stores don't have to have their brick and mortars open to do business on Thanksgiving," Glaser said.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fixtures in the American retail psyche, but Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychology professor with Golden Gate University, said their impact may be slightly diluted.

Today, about 40 percent of shoppers begin buying for Christmas before Halloween, she noted. That's a figure retailers can't ignore.

"Retailers are competing with each other," Yarrow said. "I think we always feel like it's all about us, but they're actually terribly afraid their competitor will get that purchase."

Not so long ago, those retailers set the shopping calendar, deciding when shopping rushes began and ended.

Technology has transferred much of that authority from store owners to their customers. By clicking a mouse or swiping a mobile-device screen, people can browse and buy anytime and get things shipped to them practically anywhere.

Shoppers also are spreading out their spending, softening the impact on their budgets, A&M's Hollinger said.

Thus, the shopping season grows. Yarrow said she's seen it in back-to-school and other seasons that are important to retailers.

"Right now, when I see the ads, I say 'Dang, Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet,'" said Jaime. "The sooner you start, the more you spend."

Discount 'explosions'

Still, there's no doubt the official Thanksgiving weekend shopping kickoff still provides "an enormous explosion of discounts and deals" for those who wait, Glaser said.

Thanksgiving is the clear winner in terms of extent of available deals, with Cyber Monday providing shoppers a good second chance.

Black Friday also carries powerful name recognition: Some retailers are stretching out the high shopping season by as much as two weeks early, offering preview deals. Those previews, however, typically aren't discounted as deeply as what shoppers will find the actual weekend, Glaser said.

While some people may sour at the frenzied weekend's crowds, what counts for retailers is the response.

"As long as shoppers are spending money at that time, retailers are going to take advantage of those consumer dollars," Glaser said.

There's also the traditional part of Black Friday, with families - together for the holidays - working shopping into their annual routines, Hollinger said.

'Gray Thursday'

Count Retta Carter out of the madness, however. Carter has pared her to-buy list down to Christmas cards and a few clothing items.

Black Friday, she said, "doesn't mean a thing to me."

In fact, Carter takes advantage of the after-Christmas sales to shop for the following year. Even if she misses a good deal a year out, she's OK.

"Have you ever been for those $199 TVs in the stores and there are 20 people in line for a few?" Carter said. "No! Not me."

The coming holiday shopping season may not be a record-setter, but it's not expected to be a bad one, either.

Projections continue to agree on a respectable percentage of retail sales growth this year. Most predictions range from 3 to 4 percent.

International economics research firm IHS Global Insight issued its seasonal prediction on Tuesday.

It anticipates sales growth of 3.5 percent, which is in line with several other predictions from the likes of the National Retail Federation and International Council of Shopping Centers.

This year, the phenomenon of "Gray Thursday," as IHS called it, or the surge in online sales that begins on Thanksgiving Day, will continue to eat into Black Friday foot traffic, according to IHS' analysis.